Joe R. Hastings

Joe Ray Hastings (8 April 1925-16 April 1945) was a US Army Private First Class who served in the US 97th Infantry Division during World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart for his bravery and death in battle in 1945.

Biography
Joe Ray Hastings was born in Malvern, Ohio on 8 April 1925, and he entered the US Army in July 1943 during World War II. Hastings entered the US 97th Infantry Division, and he rose to the rank of Private First Class while serving in Europe. On 16 April 1945, Hastings fought gallantly during an attack on German positions at Drabenderhohe, North Rhine-Westphalia, during which he frequently put himself in the line of fire to ensure that 1st Platoon could remove its wounded to safety. He killed or wounded several German troops, assisting his comrades in battle. He was killed four days later, and he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart.